Pioneered in the hotel industry by Generation in 2000, this innovative program promotes successful, talented hotel General Managers to owner-partners, giving them not only more control, but more financial interest in their hotel. To qualify, general managers must undergo an arduous application process, make a sizeable good-faith deposit, and prove their hotel management expertise with high scores in the areas of guest service, revenue growth, quality assurance, preventative maintenance, and telephone etiquette. �Mike Donaldson has proven himself a quality hotel operator and done so consistently for us over the past four years,� according to H. Mark Daley III, Generation president. �We are proud to have him become an Operating Partner.�

According to Donaldson, his entry into the high stakes world of Operating Partner is making a difference in day-to-day operations.  �It�s definitely making me think smarter,� he states. �Thanks to this program and the support of Generation, I feel this is my building now. It�s my job to make sure every guest and every employee enjoy the benefit of that.� Out of 109 Candlewoods nationwide, Candlewood Suites - Raleigh/Crabtree is number two in the nation for quality assurance scores for the second year in a row.  �Now, we can take what we�re doing over the last two years and make it  more profitable for everyone,� he concludes.    

The Generation Companies is a Research Triangle Park, North Carolina based real estate developer, manager and operator of extended stay hotels in North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida.  Generation has more than 2300 hotel rooms and $115 million in real estate assets under management, and employs over 275 associates at 19 properties.